The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-09-25
THE ABLE DYNAMITE GUN.
WHAT IT CAN DO AND HOW IT DOES IT
Its CHEAPNESs AND SAFETY.

CneNDnebb huu bluiphciby VI cOubtKuCllOn Oh
the pneumatic gun itself. There have been
minor trials OF tho gun for three years, with q
Wow Of increasing its efficiency and accuracy.
The fret real test was that Of Tuesday, when o
condemned coast survey schooner was an
ohored O mile and o quarter away from Fort
Lafayette and destroyed BY shells from the gun.
There wore two blank shots fred for range,
and thon came o shell with ffty-fve pounds OF
dynamite gelatine, which IL moro powerful
than simple dynamite. It did not strike tho
schooner, but lit In the water, where II ex-
ploded. The damage. though, was almost M
great 90 II the schooner had been fairly struck.
The water leaped up twice 90 high as the top
Of the masts and flooded the decks and cabin.
Tho ooncussion sprung the seams. and the
schooner began TO sink. The foremast toppled
over and the woodwork broke of simply from
the force Of the ooncussi9n Of the dynamite
hit lie boat: bH T, went under = and sxploded
n Ths ss s Rss Il strike the
csns ioT hshs % that i Only ins 70
70 to . repair shop and be patched up. Be-
S % sna ss s ns hsassa s
dynamite gelatine used wac only an experi-
m The larger the war ship is and the creator it's
and % sa. asn sSs Rs hS ssn
NY TSs dsslty Tia. had e be overcome n the
for many years to shoot dynamite out 81 sari.
9ps Kinds q cannon. using gHnpowder aud
hee
%ad SsSr
ehIne ss Inventors turned thss minds 70 finding
some substitute fSr g gun that would not
Fopr years ago an inventor designed Q con-
tryanSs for Ihs sHe Of 3, air as
INTO the gun suddenly. but By series Of i'm.
pacts. The dynamite proJectile could thus be
started slowly and iacauiIi9s spssd with each
ence Is that cannon ball receives its impulse all
oss ths
were nssasa t. PIT s sp
soP nstl s ah ana was ss
signed to take charge Of the deyel9pment Of
whieh had been abandoned. small, guns ysre
greeted there. and experiments have been
tube % feet long With an s.inch bore. II was
Has as ah 6 nfe dtain sos "
Sofns = ssss Il Rto Ss
man. In the case Of the rocket the dynamite
Shes RS 1s mi r' 1fa
sttaoh a. Th stsr. To- needed S.t,r There
tie osse s With the dyna%lts. and " Wi'enevep
these materials are sufficiently saturated
0HR ossn' Be are $ sSnsns
discharge the shell at any desired depth under
ship ina ans GOES nso ths Watea sns
torpedo, sure to 60 of whom It has sunk, and
It fiosts under a vessel before explosion, the
vessel viii be blown up as i w q on Tuesday
s Ms ssy aefs
ssssihs The III , from re - sSplSs IA q
pressure .though only SoI was used on Tues
Is notnng ~ VALID rNan dhe sssn on
q ding e less, IS at Is Cheaper than powder.
IN iortideations the air ' gun would be most
BE- built at hand lew Batteries Of such guns
could be constructed at the entrance Of New
XIII ao FSoa th se XHsd the .s4snes
For offensive warfare the air gun is not SO
good: It's length In ,proporti;can to the bore Il
pressure Is Kept the same; T. /. 81, Grip ths aiss
th e'a aua Weald N magnify The motion q Tie
wavea. In aeld warfare the afr gun could not
b. used and Tsss VIII have to
caisson Of the cannon, or the butt Of Q musket.
gun! Is Bsdn ss X the
Gramp on the Delaware. near Philadelphia.
aas Gun
!hs guns Tor ss56ooS T6sy gave tie sontIact
gs Che Mr. SGsa%D and vii Put n
Is knots speed, The contract calls Tor the
a9neh 6oee that ' viii Garry zoo pounds p
SSte mile RI
Of dynamite mile, The guns Eiii y be ready ,d 70
at Fort tO Eafaystse Is $4,000. though With n.
creased protection the COMPANY may be able
ms.s sao shoot sses
hs or The ss ea 5 5 sss Ct sn esr ~
diameter The shaft ts SO inches LONG, ana tie
doss g! On The shs rsd so
sad IN gog Rs ar y aSs as
oontrivance takes the place to some extent Of .
fife bore Rified cannon wear out faster than
g as
stOutsr inside than where the bore l. smooth,
would make the firing more dangerous, as the
heat from the increased friction and the, Jar
would be greater and might explode the dyn-
amite, Now the revolution Of the missile does
not fairly begin until it has left the gun. while
rified cannon causes the missile to revolye ut
once.
In the matter Of cost tho dynamite gun COM
pares favorably with the other methods OF us
Ing dynamite az an explosive IN warfare; IA a
costs $1,000, and once used is demolished.
Neither can II be sent with the certainty OF Q
dynamite ball. as the currents OF the water are
stronger than air currents and the steering
apparatus Of q torpedo may clog; The gun
sends the missile with more speed; 1t would
take the torpedo several minutes to go the dis
ondB
The eight-ineh gun shown in the picture Il
ct last weeks trials. 1t win be exhibited again
before the English Commission this week:
The company has the gun patented In all the
Countries OF the world that allow patents. and
u Will sell the right to use 1t without discrtm-
nation. In doing this the company regards
itself as q universal peacemaker, besides bring
Ing wealth to it's own pockets, as the gun is far
more a WAanon NJ dafaneA than offence. The